Affording Lawrence

If your child has a finalized Individualized Education Plan (IEP) from their school district of residence, they automatically qualify for Ohio Department of Education’s Jon Peterson Special Needs (JPSN) Scholarship. This state program gives parents of children on IEPs the choice to send their child to a specialized educational program other than the one operated by their public school.

The amount of each scholarship is based on the category of eligibility identified on the student's Evaluation Team Report (ETR). Students with learning differences typically qualify for $10,000 annually. Click here to learn more.

Our families don't need to worry about the paperwork! Nearly 90% of Lawrence students receive scholarships from the Ohio Department of Education, so we have a special team of school psychologists who are tasked with navigating the application and renewal processes.

After a student is admitted to Lawrence, our Office of Student Advocacy and Support Services will handle all of the paperwork involved. In addition, this office serves as the liaison between Lawrence and your public school. They help to interpret Lawrence’s procedures, supports, and programs, coordinate the ETR and IEP processes, and advocate for student needs.

Lawrence School receives grants and private donations that enable us to annually award $1.2M in tuition assistance to families who demonstrate financial need. Through this process, approximately 33% of Lawrence families are offered awards that lower their tuition. These awards typically range from $1,000–$15,000 up to a maximum of a 50% tuition reduction.

We use a confidential third-party online application to objectively assess what a family is able to contribute toward their child’s education. Applicants are asked to submit federal income tax returns, W-2 forms, and supporting documentation for non-taxable income. This assessment takes into consideration total household income, the family’s assets (homes, vehicles, savings, mutual funds, etc.), debt, and how much the family pays for educational expenses for all their children. Additional necessary expenses (medical, childcare, etc.) are also considered.

After an applicant is accepted to Lawrence School, our internal tuition assistance committee reviews the assessment results and determines award offers. The applicant’s demonstrated need, our total tuition assistance budget, and the needs of our entire applicant pool are all taken into account.

Our tuition assistance application can be found here.

Additional fees apply, including: scholarship processing, extracurricular activities, field trips, technology, etc.

529 Plan
A 529 Plan is traditionally a college savings plan that offers tax and financial aid benefits to families. However, you may now use 529 Plans towards K-12 tuition.

Tax Incentives
Some families are able to deduct tuition costs from their federal income taxes. Learn more here.

Currently, 33% of our families receive need-based tuition assistance and nearly 90% receive funding from the Ohio Department of Education. Every family’s circumstance is different, making it difficult to provide exact out-of-pocket estimates. However, if you contact the Office of Admissions, we’d be happy to discuss your situation and give you a general idea of what you could expect to pay.

We encourage families interested in enrolling multiple students to apply for tuition assistance. The number of dependents and their educational expenses weigh heavily in assistance decisions.

Yes. Lawrence families can choose to pay their tuition in full, by semester, or monthly.